Shenandoah (Universal Pictures) (1965)

Weave Laughter And Tears Into "Shenandoah, ° Civil War Epic Starring J. Stewart (Review) “Shenandoah” is one of the finest and most sensitive pictures to come out of Hollywood this year — highlighted by an outstanding performance by James Stewart that is certain to make him a strong contender in this year’s Academy Award race. While completely different, Stewart’s characterization easily is on a par with his performance 25 years ago in “The Philadelphia Story,” which won him an Oscar. Two of the key elements which make for excellent movies are laughter and tears — and both of these elements are woven into this Civil War adventure-drama with consummate skill by director Andrew V. McLagien. Yesterday’s opening day audience ‘atthe! 25.0 oe Theatre sat enthralled as the wonderful story unfolded and there wasn’t a dry eye in the house when the lights went on. It is a tour de force for Stewart, acting-wise, ranking with the best of the 67 starring roles he has had in the more than 30 years of motion picture making. Filmed in Technicolor by Universal and produced by Robert Arthur, “Shenandoah” is a perceptively written original screenplay, by James Lee Barrett. It is basically a sensitive story of the terrible futility of war. In 1863 and before the Yankees came, that good land of Virginia around the North Anna River was like a pasture of heaven. Practically every southerner in the area is involved in the raging Civil War except Charlie Anderson, played by James Stewart, who owns a rich, lush farm on the river. Anderson, a widower, has a large family consisting of six sons, a daughter, and a daughterin-law. With the sound and fury of booming cannon all around his farm Charlie remains ‘neutral,” because of his aversion to slavery. But Charlie finds out that wars don’t care who’s neutral — they still affect everybody. A series of pulse-pounding incidents, including the taking of his young, neutral son as a prisoner of war — force Charlie to really become involved — and makes for some of the most stirring drama to come out of Hollywood in a long time. In addition to Mr. Stewart’s wonderful performance, a brace. of youngsters playing key roles give inspired portrayals. Hach one is a gem of proper casting. Doug McClure was lifted right out of his regular starring role in “The Virginian” TV series to portray a Confederate officer who marries Stewart’s daughter, played by newcomer Rosemary Forsyth, making her film debut an auspicious one. Their tender love scenes are a highspot of the film. For two years Universal trained Miss Forsyth before casting her in a screen vehicle, and the careful tutelege is apparent in the meaning and sincerity she imparts to her performance. To play Stewart’s sons producer Arthur rounded up Glenn Corbett, star of the “Route 66” TV series; Phillip Alford, who was so outstanding in “To Kill A Mockingbird”; Patrick Wayne and Tim McIntire, sons of John Wayne and John McIntire; Charles Robinson and James McMullan. The photography is as eyecatching as a picture postcard. William Clothier, twice nominated for Academy Awards for photography, did a masterful job of handling the color cameras, especially the big battle scene, which explodes upon the wide screen with a savagery and fury seldom matched before. Frank Skinner, one of Hollywood’s leading composers, has written a hauntingly beautiful music score for “Shenandoah,” and utilized as a theme one of America’s great folk songs titled ‘“Shenandoah.”’ As a masterful film, ‘“Shenandoah” is sure to have a memorable, emotional impact on all audiences, young and old alike. The experience of viewing it will be remembered for a long time. Fasy To Clothe Star For "Shenandoah: Costuming Balance Of Cast Complex (Advance) Costuming James Stewart for his starring role in Universal’s Technicolor Civil War epic, “Shenandoah,” coming ........ AO eae to the __................. Theatre, was relatively simple, but the same wasn’t true for other members of the large cast. Stewart plays a widower, father of seven children, and a farmer in Virginia during the Civil War period. Ever since he did “Winchester 73,” in 1950, Jimmy wears that same weathered-outfit — with slight variations to fit the story — in all rural dramas, and it is this costume that he has in “Shenandoah.” Since part of the exciting action takes place in several Civil War battlefields, costumer Norman Mayreis had the problem of providing the wardrobe of the film. “I had to round up 500 uniforms, with the ones for the Confederate army calling for more types than you find at a costume ball,” he said. ‘‘They had to fit medium size, big size, giant size, and the lanky and the lean and the massive.” To provide the uniforms required the entire inventory of one of the nation’s largest costume firms. In addition, every Hollywood studio’s wardrobes were raided for almost their entire stock of Civil War pants, leggings, shirts and hats. And six wardrobe men were required to assist Mayreis on the location in Central Oregon where much of the film was photographed. Directed by Andrew V. McLaglen, other members of the cast include Doug McClure, Glenn Corbett, Patrick Wayne, Rosemary Forsyth, Phillip Alford, Katharine Ross, Tim McIntire, George Kennedy and Charles Robinson. Copyright 1965 — Universal Pictures Co., Inc. Calf Required To Get Cow To Act In Scene (Advance) Talking about cow casting, Universal arranged a bovine blessed event for a key scene in the James Stewart starrer, in Technicolor, “Shenandoah,” coming peop eae ROD ineie ec eee ee Theatre. The sequence, which was shot on location in Oregon, called for a cow to symbolize the start of a battle between Union and Confederate forces. Peacefully munching grass between the two groups, the cow supposedly senses upcoming violence, and (on cue) trots off. You can wait until the cows come home, but nobody can train a cow to just take off on a given signal. There is only one thing that will do it — the sound of its new-born calf. So a number of months before shooting, location manager Frank Parmenter made a mating deal with the owner of an Oregon dairy for one pregnant cow to deliver a calf a week before the scene was scheduled to be filmed. With the calf strategically placed out of camera range, when it cried at being separated from its mother, mamma cow trotted off to answer the call. Thus, Universal solved a problem simply, that originally promised udder confusion. SHENANDOAH" (2A) In searching for their youngest son, Phillip Alford, the Anderson family, headed by James Stewart, checks Union Army prisoner-ofwar camps in the neighborhood of their Virginia farm in Universal’s stirring drama, “Shenandoah.” Photographed in Technicolor, it was directed by Andrew V. McLaglen and produced by Robert Arthur. (Still No. 1954-48) James Stewart Still Enjoys Acting; Shenandoah” Marks 67th Starring Picture Role (Advance) James Stewart, his modern sunglasses a striking contrast to the 1860-style homespun pants and shirt he was wearing, pulled up his long-legged folding camp chair and sat down. Behind him, camera and light crews were setting up another scene on the Universal backlot for Stewart’s 67th motion picture, ‘“‘SShenandoah,” a Technicolor epic coming ................ LOSE eee Theatre. Soon he would be portraying the character of a Virginia farmer and widower, father of six sons and a daughter, who’s determined not to become involved in the Civil War; he would be acting. That is a line of work Stewart’s been in since 1934, and he still gets a big kick out of acting. After more than 30 years he still looks forward to each picture as a new experience. The unusual thing about Stewart is that unlike many vain Hollywood stars, he is happy to act his age in his current roles. He doesn’t care about getting the girl anymore. It’s simply the role that matters. Now 56 years old, with that more than 30 years in the business behind him, Stewart acknowledged that time is having its effects on him as an actor. For a top romantic star, who has wooed, and usually won, the most lovely female actresses in Hollywood history, he’s very casual about aging. “You sort of have to adapt yourself to the fact that you’re getting older,’ he grinned. “You have to choose a different kind of part. You can’t go on saying ‘Dad, can I have the big car tonight,’ forever. “A part like this one in ‘Shenandoah,’ for instance, is a change, but I think it’s a natural change. And there just isn’t anything you can do about Father Time. “T plan to stay on as long as they want me. I think I can still play an age spread of, oh, from the early 40’s to the early 50’s for awhile.” Six Sons Of Stars In U's “Shenandoah” (Advance) The Hollywood family tree has really come into full bloom for Universal’s epic of the Civil War in Technicolor, ‘Shenandoah,’ starring James Stewart which CONICS se acct COsEne (2... 2: soe Theatre. Sons of six famous Hollywood personalities are involved in the new film. Andrew V. McLaglen, son of Victor McLaglen, is the director. Patrick Wayne, son of John Wayne, and Tim McIntire, son of John McIntire, have key roles as sons of James Stewart. Others in the cast include Harry Carey, Jr., son of Harry Carey, James Henaghan, Jr., son of Owen Verdon, and Eugene Jackson, Jr., son of Eugene Jackson, one of the original members of the “Our Gang” comedy series. Page 2 SHENANDOAH" (J-A} James Stewart in his 67th starring role is a widower Virginia farmer with six sons and a daughter who tries to keep his family out of the Civil War raging around them in Universal’s Technicolor epic, ‘‘Shenandoah.” (Still No. 1954-83) Responsible Citizen (Current) Particular about the roles he accepts, James Stewart has a built-in sense of responsibility to movie-goers—that his name on the marquee indicates an offering suitable for the entire family. Such a story in his present film, Universal’s Technicolor Civil War epic, ‘‘“SShenandoah,”’ now at the Theatre. In it, he plays a Virginia farmer, a widower with seven children, who attempts to avoid the Civil War because he does not believe in slavery. Stand-Ins Happiest People On Picture Set Says Stewart (Current) Stand-ins usually envy movie stars, but James Stewart envies stand-ins. Why? “Because,” the actor said while making Universal’s Technicolor spectacular, “Shenandoah,” now ELL LIN ee eRe Rae te ra oa cate etch Theatre, ,“they are the most relaxed people on a sound stage, which can be as tight as a clenched fist.” Stewart claims that in a world where ulcers are a common occupational hazard you'll have a 3355—Flax Shenandoah 4-9 DA1 tough time finding one in a standin. The road to Hollywood stardom can be mined with headaches and frustration, he says. You can wait for years for your one big break and when it finally comes it can just as easily be your heart. “On the other hand,’ laughed Stewart, ‘a stand-in’s work is pleasant and steady. They work most of the 52 weeks a year if they so desire. If they don’t desire to work that steady they don’t have to. And they make enough to live comfortably.” According to Stewart, stars are like deep sea divers, constantly under pressure. When the camera is shooting for keeps it becomes an adversary which demands a constant emotional pitch from the star. But for a stand-in the camera’s terrors disappear completely. They can sleep 12 hours a day or stay up all night and they don’t have to worry how they look the next morning, either. Stewart admits, however, with a sly grin, that he has no desire to change professions. “The first thing I would do as a stand-in,” he twinkled, “is to try to figure out how to become a star.” “Shenandoah” Props Could Equin Museum (Current) Enough artifacts to equip several museums had to be secured by Universal Studios for filming in Technicolor of the Civil War story starring James Stewart, “Shenandoah,” now at the ............ Bah hile Theatre. In charge of the acquisitions was propman Ace Holmes. Included in the items needed were hundreds of period rifles, 10 cannons and 232,000 rounds of ammunition — blank, of course. There were 1864 maps of Virginia, and a complete 1864 railroad train. Special flags had to be made to order. Also on the list were short-brass bugles and telescopic Civil War sabres. But perhaps the strangest item was a machine for making homemade cigars. Stewart, who plays the role of a Virginia farmer, smokes long cigars constantly in the film. And no self-respecting 1864 Virginia farmer would use a store-bought cigar; hence the cigar-making machine. "SHEMANDOAM [2-G) Dressed in his finest clothes, Virginia farmer James Stewart leads his daughter, Rosemary Forsyth, wearing her dead mother’s wedding gown, to the altar for her marriage to Doug McClure in Universal’s epic drama set during the Civil War, “Shenandoah.” It is photographed in Technicolor. (Still No. 1954-20)